WE all know that eye contact on the Tube can be an awkward situation, and so often I find myself reading the different advertisements plastered along the walls above the heads of my fellow commuters, if nothing else but to avoid their eyes.
On the Tube you will find advertisements that make you wish you were anywhere but here (and by here I mean on the way to work). They entice you with weekend trips to the south of France and almost always have a picture of a hunky man that makes you hate your life that little bit more, which is perhaps exactly the way these advertisers want us to feel… (I’m booking my trip to France as we speak!).
Have you seen the advertisements trying to sell us pet insurance? On a scale of one to 10… I’d rate this about a minus five on the importance factor in my life. But still, it grabs my attention.
Then there’s the one that catches my eye more than anything else:
‘YOUR DREAM DATE COULD BE SITTING UNDER THIS SIGN.’
Quick glance around… you mean the old guy with the creepy stare? Hmmm, don’t think so! OK, I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but this guy is making single life seem pretty good right now. Which makes me think, as I see couples on the Tube… how did they meet?
Did they lock eyes across the tube one morning during peak hour, or perhaps they brushed hands as they both reached for the same railing to keep their balance. Or did she fall into his arms as the Tube came to a jolting stop? Maybe it was a drunken encounter on the Tube ride home one Friday evening, as they got chatting to the cute stranger seated next to them. Note: drunken conversation is the only exception to the silence on the Tube rule.
More often than not, there is always that couple who enjoy sharing public displays of affection, making us all a little uncomfortable (to say the least). Due to the lack of personal space already on the Tube, the pashing couple only add to our morbid curiosity and resistance to stare, which is of course impossible.
As much as this mushy display makes us feel ill, we secretly hope for our own special someone to share an intimate moment on the Tube.
So just think, the next time you jump on the Tube you could be sitting next to the man or woman of your dreams, and out of the 3.4 million commuters weekly… those are pretty good odds!
NB: To the cute tall guy with the brown hair in the green jacket who got on at Clapham South and got off at London Bridge… call me!